Courtesy Photo | Iraqi soldiers enjoy a cookout with Soldiers from the 1123rd Transportation Company,...... read more read more
By 1st Lt. Aaron Ward
1st Sustainment Brigade
CAMP TAJI, Iraq – Two Soldiers from the 1123rd Transportation Company, 1st Squadron, 152nd Cavalry Regiment, 1st Sustainment Brigade, are working to build a strong relationship with Iraqi army soldiers at the Taji National Depot, where they have been employed for the past three weeks.
Recently, the 1123rd Trans. Co., handed off their mission of force protection to the 1038th Horizontal Construction Company, Special Troops Battalion, 1st Sustainment Brigade; and the unit's Soldiers were tasked with new jobs.
Sgt. Donald Evance, a Lepanto, Ark., native, and mechanic with the 1123rd Trans. Co., has been working with the Defense Logistics Agency to train Iraqi soldiers on warehouse operations and setting up their warehouse system.
For the past few weeks, Evance has been teaching Iraqi soldiers how to safely operate equipment and perform preventive maintenance checks and services on equipment such as the 6K forklift. He also teaches them about warehouse safety.
"It was hard at first because they had been doing things one way for so long," Evance said.
Spc. John Kronnick, a Little Rock, Ark., native, and truck driver with the 1123rd Trans. Co., has been working with the Iraqi soldiers on their cargo documentation and organization skills.
Like Evance, Kronnick also works with DLA and assists Iraqi soldiers with setting up and organizing a system to properly stock warehouses with a variety of supply items. "The guys are very willing to work", said Kronnick of the Iraqi soldiers.
In an effort to build cohesion between the Iraqi and American soldiers, Evance and Kronnick felt it would be a good idea to have a cookout, which they held, Oct. 30.
"I asked my supervisor if I could have the cook out in order to break up the monotony," said Evance.
During the cookout, Evance and Kronnick took a break, ate steaks, and tossed around a football. Their plan apparently worked because they noticed an increase in production after the cookout.
"The next three days the crew was able to move around 280 pallets as opposed to around 30 pallets over the previous three days," said Evance. "If I've learned anything, I've learned building relationships is the key to accomplishing a mission."
| Date Taken: | 11.16.2008 |
| Date Posted: | 11.16.2008 08:19 |
| Story ID: | 26411 |
| Location: | TAJI, IQ |
| Web Views: | 341 |
| Downloads: | 311 |
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